I Melt With You
by GBlove
Summary: It's 1982 and the gang has their whole lives ahead of them. They'll be new love, old feelings, hidden secrets, and second chances. Includes flashbacks and snapshots of various characters' lives, but mainly focuses on Jackie and Hyde, when by a one in a million chance, they end up in the same place after going their separate ways. Takes place over the course of many years.
1. Two Years Later

**Not sure if I'm going to stick with this title, but I had to put something down, so here you go, hope you enjoy! **

There are two types of people in this world; ones who stay the same their whole life, and those who don't quite know who they are, changing a little with every breath they take. Jackie Burkhart is the latter. She's brutally honest, but lies constantly, she's superficial, but a profound dreamer, a heart breaker, but a hopeless romantic. What she wanted changed faster than fashion trends, whether it be boys, cars, ponies or clothes. Although it never stayed the same for long, there was always something in her radar, and she almost always got it. For her thirteenth birthday she asked for a authentic gold charm bracelet, accented with pink diamonds, real ones, not the cheap kind. She received not only the bracelet, but matching earrings too. Most of her life had gone like that; people don't feel like dealing with her attitude so they give her what she wanted, no questions asked. However, often there is a fine line between what one wants, and what one appears to want.

...

Talk about last resorts. His entire life was a quilt made up of them, sloppily patched together over the years, revealing one huge mass of color and chaos. It started before he was even born, when his mom, in desperate attempt to hold on to her boyfriend, purposefully got pregnant. It didn't work; she ended up being too scared to tell him, and actually broke up with him herself. It continued from then on. After his "father (who turned out not to be his real dad)", left with all their money, he and his mom hitched a ride with a door to door mattress sails man named Larry. He told Edna Hyde that he was in love with her, and was going to give her everything she and her son ever wanted. Turns out he was an alcoholic who just wanted their money, but when he found out they didn't have any, he booted them out of his car, drove away with their suitcases still in his trunk, and left them, broke and homeless, in a town called Point Place.

...

It had been almost two years since she'd left Point Place. The only proof she even had of her ever living there was her old drivers license and a faded, torn Polaroid photograph taken the day of her high school graduation. The rest of her possessions she had obtained somewhere along the way on her journey from Chicago, to Vegas and eventually New Orleans. But none of those places seemed to give her what she wanted. With the little money she had, Jackie began to set out yet again, by bus, taxi and even hitchhiking here and there, in search of what she was looking for, even if she didn't quite know what that was.

...

It was true, last resorts seemed to follow Hyde everywhere. Hell, he even became one himself, when he took Jackie to prom way back in high school, when she had no one to go with on account her her breaking up with Kelso. One of the most prominent ones in his life took place after his mom left, and he moved in with Foreman so everyone would stop worrying about him. But the one he couldn't ever get over, the biggest mistake of his life, the worst last resort he'd ever taken, was marrying Samantha, the stripper he met in Vegas. They lasted a mere six months and though Hyde swore to himself he was going to make some changes after that, last resorts followed him into his early adulthood. In July of 1982, his El Camino, about the only thing he had of his very own, was running on an empty tank, and was in desperate need of an oil change. Hyde was determined not to stop until he got to where he was going, but he knew he needed to get to a gas station. He found himself in Boone, North Carolina, just miles from where he wanted to be. For the past four weeks, he'd bent over backwards, gone to the moon and back, and all but sold his soul to the Devil to score a ticket to a music festival going on, where he'd be watching Zeppelin, and about a dozen other legends. He didn't like thinking about how he'd had to sell all his records and , his signed Jimi Hendrix guitar to score the tickets. But it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and he wouldn't miss it for anything. Chances are, he'd meet a woman at the seven day long festival, which could keep him busy for two or three weeks, at least until he got some money and could get the Hell out. He'd been with about half a dozen women in the past couple of years, none lasting more than a few weeks. They'd given him short lived satisfaction, if anything someone to share a motel room with. It had become repetitive, and just plain boring. It always ended the same way; him leaving quietly before what ever girl it was woke up. It had been a long time since he'd seen her, but for reasons he couldn't understand, each and every time he was with a woman, Jackie's face would flash across his mind, just for a second, and then it would be gone.

_"I noticed you're alone a lot...and _I'm_ alone a lot. So I thought maybe we could be alone together."_

_...  
_

Jackie sat at the bus stop, waiting for the Number Whatever Bus to come and take her Wherever. Next to her on the bench sat a plastic, pink tote bag which contained everything to her name, minus the clothes on her back. There were a couple of books, some makeup (she may be poor but she will _not_ look it), a small change purse with about five dollars in coins, her Wisconsin ID, an old photograph, and a pack of gum, only one piece left. To keep her self entertained, she had her nose buried in People magazine, which she'd taken from a drugstore about an hour before.

"I would never wear that," She thought to herself, grimacing at a baby blue pant suit with puffy sleeves and rhinestones around the bust, worn by a celebrity in the magazine. "Thank God for people like me who actually have a sense of fashion and can save the world from crisis."

Setting the magazine in her lap, she looked up and down the street, starting to get a little impatient. If a bus didn't get there soon, she would melt in this heat like the witch in The Wizard of Oz. Wiping some sweat off her forehead she licked her lips, wishing she had something to drink, anything to quench her parched throat. Remembering that her mother used to tell her that sweating was not something a woman should do unless it's in the bedroom, she got a makeup sponge from her bag and dabbed at her dewy face. Afterwards, she glanced down at her feet. She wore bright red flip flops, and her toes, she noticed, were in desperate need of a pedicure. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been to a nail salon.

_"I'm being weighed down by a 95 pound brunette with pink toenails."_

Giving up on reading, Jackie put the magazine back in her tote bag, and popped the last stick up of gum in her mouth. Minutes ticked by. She waited and waited. Uncomfortable, she leaned back, and decided to read license plates of cars that drove past. Most were from North Carolina, which made sense, a couple from neighboring states. An El Camino drove by, one very similar to the car that Steven had. Steven. She hadn't allowed her self to think about him in ages. But when the license plate said Wisconsin, and that little dent was there, from the time Michael had backed in to a tree, her pulse began to race, and she sat up, staring at the back of the car. "No..." She whispered, in disbelief.

...

After filling up his tank, spending all but seventeen dollars of the money he had, Hyde was back on track, continuing on his way to the concert. He lazily glanced at shops as he cruised through the town that seemed to still be living in the 70's, and hungrily gazed at diners he passed. But he knew once he got to the concert he'd be able to mooch some food and a few beers. And he was gong to need it once he hit up his stash. He'd almost reached the town limits when he passed a pregnant girl sitting on a bench, who a looked to be very interested in his car. His eyes glazed over her, his mind still on food, when suddenly something clicked in his head and he did a double take, looking over his shoulder, completely forgetting about his vehicle, which was still going 25 mph, heading towards on coming traffic.

"Oh my God, Jackie..." He said out loud. He stared for a couple more seconds before being snapped out of it by a horn honking. He whirled his head around and barely dodged a pickup truck.

"Shit," He muttered, pulling into a convenient store parking lot, suddenly out of breath. He parked his car about ten feet away from the bench where he saw Jackie. He left it running, his mind already back to her. She was standing up now, facing him. After of few minutes of them just staring, blinking at each other, she raised her hand in wave. Keeping his widened eyes locked on her, he cut and engine and stepped outside.


	2. Reunited

He stepped out into the sun and closed the car door, not meaning for it to shut as hard as it did. Shoving his hands into his jean pockets, he made his way over to Jackie. A bus pulled up just then, the driver assuming she was getting on. She stayed put, just waited for him to reach her. Although it only took a few seconds, it seemed like an hour went by before he stopped, and was standing in front of her. She turned around and waved the bus on, and then looked back at him. He took off his aviators so her could really look at her.

"Are you real?" He wanted to ask her. He wanted to reach out and touch her just to make sure, but he seemed to have lost the ability to move or speak. He wanted to just soak her in, memorize every feature that he hadn't gotten to look at in so long. He looked at her face and those killer green eyes, and her hair which had gotten so long, and so curly without her messing with it all the time, and her neck and her shoulders were really there too. He noticed her arms and legs weren't as thin as they always used to be, but Jackie could gain fifty pounds and she'd still be a stick. For one reason or another he skipped her midriff completely and took in her feet. The feet he used to rub (not by choice), the feet that used to rest in his lap, the feet that used to have pink polish on the toes. Another few seconds went by like that, him staring at her feet, but Jackie finally said something.

"Steven, it's so good to see you. I can't believe you're here." He brought his gaze to her face a moment longer before slowly moving it down to her basketball shaped belly. She followed his eyes, and she too looked down at her stomach.

"I'm up here," She said sharply, starting to sound a little like her old, snappy self. He looked back up at her once more, but still said nothing.

"Steven, can you stop staring at me and say something?" She said, a familiar, bossy edge in her voice. Not giving him much of a chance to respond, she took a more direct approach.

"Say something!" She yelled, smacking him on the arm. This seemed to shake him out of the trance he was in.

"Jackie..." He started, "You're...you're pregnant," He said, as if she wasn't aware.

She slapped her hand on her chest in mock surprise. "No. Way," She said, pretending to be astonished.

He opened his mouth to respond a few times, but kept shutting it. When he began to stare at her again, Jackie drew the line.

"Do you want to take a walk?" She asked.

"Yeah...yeah, sure," He said. She picked up her tote bag, and he fell in to step next to her. His pace had to slow down quite significantly to match hers, but he didn't mind.

"Want me to carry that for you?," He said, gesturing for her bag, noticing a bead of sweat on her forehead. Jackie smiled and looked at her feet.

"Is Steven Hyde offering to do _me_ a favor?" She asked, playfully, glancing up at him.

He returned her smile and said, "Is Jackie Burkhart actually _sweating_?" He said, playing along.

"Hey, I do not sweat, I glisten! But since you offered, here," She handed her bag over.

They walked in a comfortable silence for a few steps, Jackie waddling on slowly but surely, and Hyde practically dragging his feet to stay in step with her.

"So what's been going on the past two years, man? You didn't even come home to the Foreman's house for Christmas or anything." Hyde said.

"Yeah, I know," She began, "It's been crazy. First, I went to Chicago, thinking I could get my job back with the producer. I couldn't. But I met some friends who got me a job at this bar where they worked, and they let me stay with them, so I was there for about six months, and then drove to Vegas. The only jobs anyone ever offered me there was a stripper, and a Salon receptionist. I took the salon job. I stayed in a motel for a little over two months, but that was about as much of it as I could take. And from there I went to New Orleans."

"Why there?" Hyde asked, glancing down at her.

"The last postcard my mom ever sent me was from there...I guess I just thought..."She trailed off, her mind wandering. "But anyway," She started up again,"A couple days after I got there, the rental company that I rented a car from in Chicago tracked me down and said I owed them over a thousand dollars for driving the car out of state, which no one told me that was illegal! So, I had about five hundred dollars on my card, and they told me If i didn't come up with the rest of the money I was gong to be arrested! Me! Arrested! So, I pawned all of my clothes, my jewelery, my luggage, shoes, everything. That gave me enough, and I had about fifty left to get me out of New Orleans. I had to take _buses, _Steven. And taxis. I _hitchhiked! _I passed through Texas, where I got a job delivering Pizza. I was there for three months, maybe. I didn't spend much time in Mississippi or Alabama, just got through them as fast as possible. And then I went to Georgia..." She drifted off for a second, lost in thought, "And after that I passed through South Carolina, and I ended up here a couple weeks ago and I was going to go where ever that bus took me. Except you showed up, and..." She trailed off again and he nodded.

"So...you're not here with anyone? You came here by yourself?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Are...are you okay, Jackie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," She said a little too quickly. He knew it wasn't true, but let it go.

"Are you hungry? I was going to get some food."

"Yeah, I could eat."

That was an understatement. They went to a pizza parlor, and split a large pie. By Jackie's orders it had sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, black olives, pineapple, tomatoes, and three different cheeses. Hyde watched in amusement as she inhaled her half in about ten minutes, and ate one of his slices too.

"I see your appetite's increased since I last saw you," He observed.

"I'm not fat," She said, her mouth full.

"When's the last time you've eaten?"

"This morning," She lied. She hadn't had anything to eat since yesterday morning, and it had only been a packet of oyster crackers and a piece of chocolate she got for free at a motel.

He saw right through her lie, but didn't say anything.

She offered to help pay for the meal, but he wouldn't have it, and used ten of his seventeen dollars to pay, trying not to think about how he was totally screwing himself over.

"You got anyplace to stay?" He asked once they were outside again, even though he knew the answer.

"Not yet, but I can get a motel. I have some money," She said, wondering if five dollars could even get her a cab ride to a motel, much less a room.

"Cause I got nowhere to be, and I figured you know this town better than I do, and if you can help me find us a place to crash, and show me around...I could repay you by paying for a room and...and stuff," He tried to make it sound like he wasn't doing her any favors, but Jackie was a hard bargain.

"Steven, really I'm fine. Don't you have somewhere better to be than here?"

He hesitated for a second, before saying, "No, not really." _Stupid, stupid, stupid! _His inner voice yelled at him, _Get out while you still can! Go! Go to Zeppelin!_ "Can't think of anywhere,"He added casually, putting his glasses back on.

She was quiet for a moment before saying,"Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself in to?"

He shook his head and smiled, really smiled for the first time in longer than he can remember. "No idea, whatsoever." As they walked, he put his arm around her shoulders, not knowing what he was doing, or where he was going, but he'd never felt so sure about anything his entire life.


	3. Puddin' Pop

"Alright well...have fun. See you in twenty minutes." Hyde turned to leave, but Jackie grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Steven, where are you going?"

"For the seventh time, Jackie, I'm going to get gas. Now, run along, get whatever you need, anything your pretty little heart desires." He waved his hands at her but she stopped him from leaving again.

"Oh, but why does it have to be _here?_ Walmart is for the commoners," She said, dead serious.

"Sorry Princess, no Gucci for you," He said, and left before she could take hold of him again.

She scoffed at his retreating figure, and slowly turned around, grimacing at her surroundings. This was the first time Jackie had ever shopped in a Walmart. Growing up, she'd had all the high end brands right at her fingertips, and all the domestic shopping was up to the maid.

_Get what you need _rang in her head. She'd never had to access what she _needed. _It had always been what she _wanted. _

"What do I need?" She muttered to herself, strolling through the aisles. Underwear. Definitely underwear. And maybe a new dress. She looked a mirror in the maternity wear section, gazing at the tight, deep blue, cotton dress she had been squeezed into for what seemed like far too long. It hugged her in all the wrong places, making her stomach look ten times bigger than it actually was. Her dark hair had grown out, to about halfway down her back, and she had a scrunchie in it, half up, half down. When she got to the beauty aisle, she just had to pass on by. It was Steven's money, and he was already doing so much. However, she did want to get some cream for her stretch marks. The skin on her belly was stretched so tight it had turned red and chapped. By the time she was finished, she had six things in the basket. A bright pink maternity dress that matched her tote bag, a pack of white panties, deodorant, a bottle of lotion, and some shaving supplies that she, as well as Steven could use. His beard was back, but not if she had anything to say about it.

Hyde thought long and hard about how stupid he was. He'd lied to Jackie about getting gas. Where he was really going was to make some money. So driving back to pick her up, he, for the first time in years, didn't have any drugs. And although it pained him to give it away, he'd sold his festival ticket too.

_"He wouldn't miss it for anything."_

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," He mumbled, pulling into a parking space. He could have been there by now, smoking his brain away with a woman who'd give it up for a quarter. Instead, he had Jackie and her unborn child to take care of. He found her in the food court, sitting at a booth reading what appeared to be a pregnancy book, with bits up paper sticking out of various places, and certain pages dog eared.

"You read?" He asked, sliding in across from her.

She looked up, startled. "Oh hey, you all set?" She said, stuffing the book back in her bag. "And Steven, I know you're going to protest, but I got you a razor and some shaving cream, because if I'm going to be sharing a room with you I will not have you looking like a lumberjack.

"Yeah, about that," He said, standing up, "you can stay with me on one condition. No trying to make me look pretty."

"Oh, don't get difficult. If I have to I'll hold you down and do it myself." She stood up, ready to lead the way to the checkout when something about Steven's shirt caught her eye.

"Steven, you're shirts all wrinkled," She sighed, stepping closer to him and smoothing her hands over his shoulders and down his chest, repeating the motion several times, determined to flatten the creased fabric. "When's the last time you ironed?"

"Uh...never?" He said, as she turned her attention up to his face.

"Is that _dirt _on your face?" She asked him, licking her finger and dabbing his forehead.

"Okay, how about we don't do that," He said, but made no move to stop her, or get away.

She made a face. "Fine. I'm going to the bathroom before we leave. Go checkout and I'll meet you out front."

He glanced in the basket, then at the macho looking man at the only open checkout line.

"Oh no, I'm not going up there by myself buying panties and a dress. You're coming with me."

"Come on, be a man and buy some panties." She widened her eyes and stuck out her bottom lip, a look that he seldom could resist.

He stared at her. "But I...he...crap." He stalked off, glaring ahead of him.

"Thank you Puddin' Pop," Jackie called after him, receiving a grumpy, over the shoulder look from him.

...

Jackie turned up the radio and squealed, as "I Melt With You" came on. Steven, who had begun to lose his mind, was in his boxers and a white t-shirt, lying face down on the bed clutching a pillow over his ears.

"I love this song!" Jackie shrieked, giddy, before she started singing along.

"I'LL STOP THE WORLD AND MELT WITH YOU!" She belted, shaking her hips along with the beat, "YOU'VE SEEN THE DIFFERENCE AND IT'S GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME! THERE'S NOTHING YOU AND I WON'T DO! Take it away, Steven!" She held out her arms to him, but he stayed face down, not making a move.

The TV was turned to turned to a workout program in which Jackie was attempting to follow along with. In the place of dumbbells, she grasped a lamp in each hand, so the only light in the room was the glow of the TV screen. To sleep in, she wore a t-shirt of Steven's, which worked a night gown for her. Her freshly washed hair was piled messily on top of her head in a bun.

A low groan came from the bed, which was Steven's latest form of expressing his annoyance. He moaned again, this time louder and more drawn out.

"Steven, shut up, you sound like a ghost. Or a crazy person."

He pulled his head out from under the pillow, an amused look on his face. "Crazy, huh? I'm not the one dancing around in my underwear, fist pumping the air with lamps," He glanced at the clock, "you do realize it's two in the morning, right? And I haven't slept in 48 hours."

She sighed. "I can't sleep. I never can in motels. Or hotels. Or trailers, or buses, or cars," She turned towards him.

"You know when I can't sleep? When loud, tone deaf girls are screaming crappy music at the top of their lungs in the middle of the night, three feet away from me." He smiled pleasantly, blinking up at her.

"Someone's grumpy..." Jackie mumbled.

"Because I'm trying to sleep!" He barked, flinging the pillow at her feet.

She kicked it away, pleading with him, "Stay up with me then. It'll be like..." She put the lamps on the floor and sat down next to him on the bed, "when I used to sneak over to the Foreman's house and we'd stay up all night talking. Remember?"

He smirked. "I remember doing more than talking."

"Well it'll be like then, minus that part."

"Really." He said, "Because I"m not opposed to doing it."

She raised her eyebrows at him, remembering when he'd said that to her before, on the very first date they ever went on.

"I'm just kidding," He said after a few seconds, and stretched.

She folded her legs underneath her. "Steven, I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now. I...I'm looking for a friend," He looked fixedly at her, waiting for her to continue, "But...I think we should kiss...one last time." His eyebrows furrowed in surprise.

"You know, since we never really had a chance to say goodbye when we broke up...it happened so suddenly..." She trailed off, "So, what do you say?"

He shrugged. "Whatever."

"That's cool," She said causally, a smile hinting at the corners of her lips.

They leaned forward simultaneously, and he murmured "Yeah, that's right, I taught you that."

He let her decide how long the kiss lasted. It was short and sweet, ending as soon as it began, but they both held on just long enough that the sincerity could be felt. As Jackie pulled away, Steven wondered how he'd gotten more out of that one kiss than he had from every single woman he'd been with that past two years put together.

"I'll let you get some sleep now," Jackie said, jumping off the bed to turn off the TV and radio.

"Finally," He said, doing his best to sound relieved, "I thought you'd be dancing all night." He crawled under the covers, as did she. They both lay in darkness for a moment before Jackie whispered to him.

"Steven?"

"Hmm."

She stayed silent for so long that Steven thought she had fallen asleep. But after the long pause, she said something he wasn't expecting at all.

"I'm really glad I have you."

He thought about what he should say, finally settling on another, "Hmm."

Smiling, she rolled on to her back, settling one hand on her stomach. "Night Puddin' Pop."

**Thank you for reading! Please review, and spread the word if you liked it!**


	4. Beginnings

**New Chapter! Thank you to those who've been reading and reviewing. I love hearing feedback on what I write!**

That night Jackie's dreams were filled with flashbacks.

_"I'm an actor...well, gonna be one someday. But I got an agent n' everthin'. Says she's gonna make me famous," He smiled and ran his fingers through his blond hair._

_"Wow," Jackie giggled, tipsy and awestruck, "You're the first actor...I mean _aspiring_ actor I've ever met."  
_

_"Thas' cause they all in Hollywood. See, thas' where you gotta go to make it big," He held up his hands and spread them apart for effect.  
_

_"I've never been to Hollywood before," Jackie slurred, gazing up at him.  
_

_"I'm gonna go there one day real soon. Maybe I might even bring you along," He said with a wink, his deep, southern accent drawing Jackie in like a fish on a hook, blissfully unaware that it was being lured somewhere it didn't want to go.  
_

Jackie woke up, breathing hard. It took her a second to remember where she was. She was laying diagonally across the bed, her head resting beside Steven's chest. To her left, the digital clock on the nightstand read 4:56.

The dreams had started a few months back, once she was on her own again. She didn't have them every night, and sometimes she didn't sleep at all in fear of them. Over time they'd begun to feel like an evil presence following her around, attacking her when ever she shut her eyes.

...

The following morning, Jackie and Steven ate breakfast at a diner near their motel. She had on her new dress and wore her bouncy curls down.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Jackie asked Steven, licking maple syrup off her thumb.

"Anything that's free, and doesn't involve driving, " He mumbled, before gulping down the last of his coffee. "Before yesterday, I pretty much drove for a straight 48 hours with no sleep."

Jackie thought for a moment and then gasped, which she usually did when she had an idea.

"We could have a _photo shoot!_" She clapped her hands and bounced up and down in her seat.

"Yeah!" Hyde said, with false enthusiasm, "And then we can get our nails done and buy matching outfits!"

"Alright, well do you have a better idea?"

"I have about a million better ideas, but after the very unpleasant awakening you gave me this morning, I'd rather we just go back to the room, take a nap until lunch time, then take another nap until dinner time, and then go to bed. Now there's a good idea."

"Steven, it practically is lunchtime. You wouldn't wake up so we didn't get her until 11:30."

To say the least, Steven was not a morning person. For at least half an hour after he wakes up, he doesn't like to be spoken to, to be touched, or to be rushed. That morning, Jackie, well aware of his grumpiness, did all of the above, and more. She'd tried everything to get him up. Playing loud music, yelling, pulling the blankets off of him, throwing things at him, shaking him, slapping him. But nothing worked. That's when she had an idea.

Around 10:30, Steven was awoken by a tickling feeling on his face, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Jackie leaning over him with a razor in her hand. He blinked a few times, trying to decide if this bizarre image was real, or a figment of his impending insanity.

"Wakey, wakey," She sang, seeing that he was awake.

"Am I dreaming?" He asked sleepily.

"Yes," She whispered, " I'm here to shave your beard, Steven."

At this, realizing what was going on, he'd bolted up and ran to the bathroom, rambling on about how there should be a law restricting sharp objects from crazy people. The door slammed, and after a couple seconds of silence, he erupted again, this time in a cussing fit, using about every word in the book. Jackie, swallowing back her laughter, watched as he came back out and stood in front of her, fuming, his face covered in shaving cream, except for one patch that she had already shaven.

"Oh good, you're awake," She said brightly, giving a little wave. "Well...who wants breakfast?"

"You may as well finish what you've started," He muttered angrily, pointing to his face.

She shrugged. "Fine. Lay back down."

"Fine. Come here," He marched back over to the bed.

"Fine. Don't fidget, or I'll cut you."

"Fine!"

She sat beside him on the bed, and with one hand gently holding the side of his face to keep it still, she started to shave the rest of his face. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing so she'd think he went back to sleep, but he was awake the whole time. He'd never admit it to her, but he'd missed Jackie the past two years, and he didn't even mind the rude, and rather odd awakening. In fact, he enjoyed it.

...

Hundreds of miles away, in their two bedroom apartment, Brooke leaned over Michael and peered into the cardboard box he was going through. It was filled with memories from his childhood and teenage years, from photos and postcards, to the metal rod that was put in his arm when he broke it in middle school.

"Aww man, I remember this," He said, pulling out an old pair of red converse sneakers. He turned over the left one, and there it was, like it had been since he was in fourth grade. It had faded over the years, but Jackie's name could still be seen, in messy third grader writing.

_"There," She had said, releasing his foot from her tight grasp, "Now I'll always be a part of you. Well...at least until you go up a shoe size."_

The gang had made fun of him so much for that. Although he only loved Jackie as a friend now, seeing the shoe reminded him how much he missed all of his friends from back home. He tossed its back in the box and looked up at Brooke.

"The sitter just got here," She said, "You ready?"

"Yeah, I was just going through some old stuff," He said, opening the window for her to ask about the shoe. But he wasn't surprised when she just smiled at him, and checked her watch. She had never taken much of an interest in his life before Betsy. Especially now that they'd moved from Chicago to Springfield for her new job, and she was so busy. He hadn't been able to find work since they'd moved, so he didn't have much going on at the moment. However, he always had going home to Point Place for holidays to look forward to.

...

"See, now wasn't that fun?" Jackie asked, sliding into the passenger seat of the El Camino.

By Jackie's orders, the two had gone to see _Young Doctors in Love,_ a movie that had just come out in theaters. To save money, they sneaked in, to which Jackie had gotten quite a thrill. Afterwards, they headed back to their motel where Steven immediately collapsed on to the bed. Jackie used the spare time to write to a friend she'd met in Georgia.

In all of the two years she'd been gone, Jackie had only come out with one real friend. They called her M.K., short for Mary Katherine, last name Rouse, a name that had been in the state for eight generations. She lost her virginity when she was twelve, in the trailer she'd lived in her whole life. By age fifteen, she'd become the girl who guys called to hook up with when they were bored, but all she ever really wanted was for a boy to buy her flowers, to hold her hand, and to win her a prize at the carnival in the summer. At age twenty-five, she was still waiting. She worked at the local convenient store, which was where Jackie had met her. The two girls had got to talking, and became fast friends, but Jackie had always had a feeling Mary Katherine kept a lot hidden. Nonetheless, they kept each other company, and Jackie even lived with her for a while. Once she left Georgia, Jackie tried to write to her at least twice a month to keep her updated on how she was doing. But because of her unsettled living situations, she'd never been able to receive a letter back from her friend, so their friendship for the past couple of months had been quite one sided. When she'd left Georgia, Jackie hadn't felt right; like she was leaving Mary Katherine behind in a place where there was nothing left for her, where she'd sit and grow rotten, like a forgotten tomato in the very back of the refrigerator.


	5. Bon Voyage

**Sorry I didn't upload for a little while; I was at the beach. Thank you so much to everyone that has read and reviewed! Hearing feedback is definitely the best gift a writer can be given from readers. I want to hear what you have to say about my writing, and if you have any suggestions, comments or complaints feel free to speak your mind!**

Around five that evening, Jackie and Hyde went on a walk.

"So you still haven't told me where you've been the past two years," She said to him.

"You never asked," He replied, stalling, not too eager to tell the tale of his life since the 80's began.

"Well I'm asking now."

"Fair enough," He started, "After Fez dumped you-"

"He did not dump me," She interrupted, something he'd gotten used to her doing over the years, " We made a mutual agreement that us as a couple felt too weird and that we're better off as just friends."

"Okay, whatever you say. Anyway, right after you guys 'made a mutual agreement'," He held up his fingers in air quotes, "and you left town, uh, let's see...I went to jail, got out on probation, went back to jail, got out again, drank lots of beer, smoked lots of weed, and now I'm here."

Jackie stared at him. "My story was much better."

"Hey, I got arrested. Twice."

She crossed her arms. "I got knocked up."

"Fine, you win," He muttered.

"Well, hold on, what did you get arrested for? And what about the store? And why'd you come here anyway?"

"Which one do you want me to answer first?"

"The first one."

He sighed. "Uh... fighting and a DUI."

"Steven," She scolded, "What made you get into a street fight and drunk drive?"

"Nothing...it's just what I did."

"You only get into trouble like that when you're really upset."

"I don't get upset...I get enraged."

"Whatever...what happened to the store?"

He shrugged. "I kind of just stopped showing up."

"So is someone else running it?"

"I doubt it."

She gave him one of her looks. "You can't just stop showing up to work when you're the owner!"

"I wasn't feeling it." He said in a 'what can you do?' kind of way.

"So why are you here?"

"I was just passing through, like you."

They walked in silence for a few more steps, when spotting a bench, Jackie spoke up.

"Let's sit down for a second," She said, and led the way over. She sat down first, and leaned back, realizing how tired she was. Hyde, suddenly unsure how close he should sit next to her, pretended to be searching his pockets for something while he tried to figure it out. Were there rules for how close you can sit next to your pregnant ex-girlfriend who you just reunited with after two years of not speaking, and was currently staying in a motel room with? If he sat too close she might think he was flirting with her, but if he sat too far she might think he didn't like her.

_Stop being stupid, _his inner voice told him, _what are you, 12? Just sit on the damn bench!_

It hadn't occurred to him before, but in that one moment, everything that had happened in the past 24 hours all hit him at once and it seemed so surreal, to be here with her. He quickly sat down, just far enough away that his arm wouldn't accidentally brush hers. She looked over at him, and he blurted out the thing he'd been wanting to tell her since he first saw her.

"You're different, Jackie. I can't figure out what it is but you're different than you were before."

She lowered her eyes. "I'm a little more pregnant than I was before."

"Not that...it's like somethings missing."

She shrugged and said, "I bet it's my hair...I haven't been to the salon in months and it doesn't have that extra bounce in it." She ran her fingers through her hair as she said this. He knew it had nothing to do with her hair but he went along with it.

"That's true," He said, shooting her a sideways smile, "I think I saw a bug or two crawling through it earlier," He picked up a strand and shook his head in mock disgust. She laughed and swatted his hand away. "You know I'm kidding," he said, "You look pretty good for a homeless person."

He knew that would make her mad, which is why he said it. "I wish I could say the same for you." She said.

"Alright, alright..."

"Maybe we should call Fez," She said, " He can help you. He is the shampoo boy after all."

"Actually he got a new job a little after you left on this local couples talk show or something."

She smiled. "That reminds me of the couples' social we went to...and we played the Dating Game. Remember?"

He remembered. It had been his own personal Hell.

_"Alright, to get started, let's play a little get to know you game. We'll go around in a circle and everyone will say their name, three facts about them, and how long you and your partner have been together. I'll start. My name is Alivia, I volunteer for the Humane Society every Saturday, I"m trilingual, and I want to be a nurse. I've been dating Paul, my boyfriend, for six months." She turned to Paul and gestured for him to go._

_"Hey everyone," He gave a little wave, "I'm Paul. I played baseball in high school, I go to WU, and I golf in my free time."  
_

_"Alright," Alivia said, "Now your turn." She pointed to Jackie.  
_

_Jackie, smiling broadly, began. "I'm Jackie Burkhart. I love makeup, pink, and I'm a former head cheerleader. And this is my boyfriend, Steven, "She said, placing a hand on his knee, well aware that he'd eat his own foot before participating in this game. "We've been together for two years, and his interests include the color black, stealing things, and Zeppelin." She smiled proudly at him.  
_

_Although she was oblivious, behind his sunglasses, he was well aware of the smug glances between everyone else in the group.  
_

_After the first activity, they played the a mock Dating Game. The couples stood back to back, each writing answers to questions about their relationship on whiteboards. Question number one was 'What ice cream flavor describes your relationship?'  
_

_When it came time for Jackie and Hyde to show their answers, Jackie proudly held up her board and read her answer out loud.  
_

_"Neapolitan, because it's very complex."  
_

_Alivia clapped her hands as if talking do a small dog, "Good answer, Jackie! Now let's see what your boyfriend put."  
_

_Looking like he was trying not to laugh, he held up his board.  
_

_"Rocky Road?" Jackie said, glaring at him.  
_

_"Oh come on, have a sense of humor,"  
_

_The rest of the night had basically gone like that.  
_

_...  
_

After the park, they went to dinner and then back to the motel. As her new nightly ritual, Jackie took a bubble bath, brushed her hair and teeth, and applied her stretch mark cream. When she came out of the bathroom, Hyde was already sound asleep. She crawled in next to him, and hoped she wouldn't dream of Georgia.

But as she had so many other times, she relived that time in her life again.

_"So I guess you've met Mary Katherine," The girl said, stretching out M.K's name._

_Jackie nodded. "I'm staying with her, actually."  
_

_The girl laughed. "You're kiddin', right? Hey Lou Lou, come over here!" She called out to another girl a little ways over.  
_

_"Hey Betty," She said, walking up. And to Jackie, "Don't think we've met."  
_

_"I'm Jackie Burkhart. I haven't been in town long. Which reminds me, how do you people _live _like this?"_

_Both girls narrowed their eyes, but ignored her. "Hey Lou Lou, listen to this. This girls staying with Mary Katherine Rouse in her trailer," Both girls burst out laughing.  
_

_"Is something funny?" Jackie asked, taking a sip of her beer.  
_

_Lou Lou put a hand on Jackie's arm. "So, tell me. How many guys does she have in her bed each night? Ten? Twenty? Is there just an assembly line of men going through the house?" They started laughing again.  
_

_"Well...I mean, she's had guys over before, but not every night. And never more than one." Jackie tried to defend M.K.  
_

_"Honey, take it from us. We've known her our whole lives. Mary Katherine Rouse is the sluttiest skank this towns ever seen. She did it with Bobby Ray when she was twelve!"  
_

_Jackie didn't know who Bobby Ray was, but she knew a slut when she saw one and M.K. just didn't fit the bill.  
_

_"She's probably slept with every guy in town. She's that girl that they call when they're looking for a good time. They all leave right after anyway. She doesn't care."  
_

_"She doesn't care," Jackie repeated, thinking back to the night that she'd heard a noise and discovered it was M.K. crying in her room. The next morning, she seemed perfectly fine and didn't mention it, so Jackie let it slide. But now she realized that the crying had started right after a truck had pulled out of the driveway.  
_

_She glanced over at M.K. She was across the room, sitting in a guys lap, giggling in to her cup while he whispered something to her. She put her arms around his neck and said something that made him stick his tongue down her throat.  
_

_"See?" Betty said. "It's kind of pathetic. She's probably the oldest one here. Most of us aren't even in college yet and she's twenty five."  
_

_"Why didn't she go to college?" Jackie asked.  
_

_"Cause' she's as dumb as she is slutty." Lou Lou rolled her eyes.  
_

_"Yeah," Betty scoffed, "You watch, she'll be eighty years old, still working in the convenient store and living in the same trailer. She'll never leave this town. Never."  
_

_..._

On their second day, Jackie and Hyde went to lunch at an odd looking restaurant called 'Planet of the Crepes'.

When they were dating, even though Hyde was a year older, Jackie had always been in charge. She made the plans, booked the trips, was always the one who decided things. but now, in this unfamiliar setting and circumstance, Hyde had this strange new feeling that he was responsible for her. And that's why, as they were eating, he announced, "I'm taking you home tomorrow. To Point Place."

She almost choked on her crepe.

"What? No. You're not."

"Yes. I am."

"No. You can't force me."

"I can and I will." He crossed his arms.

"When did you become the boss of me? I'm staying here. Or anywhere else I want to go."

He shook his head. "That's not happening. You-" He was distracted by something behind Jackie. She turned around and they both spoke in unison.

"Roy?"

He turned and saw them. "Hey guys!" He broke out into a smile and made his way over. "What are you guys-" He stopped when he saw Jackie's condition. "Oh," He said awkwardly.

"It happens," She shrugged.

"Um...congratulations?" He looked at her and she shook his head. "No?" He looked at Hyde. "Are you the...?" Hyde also shook his head.

"Oh."

"Anyway..." Hyde said, trying to change the subject. "What are you doing here, Roy?"

"I'm here on business."

"What kind of business?" Jackie asked.

He grinned. "I own this place. I own the entire chain."

"That explains the name." Hyde said, making Jackie smile.

Roy sat down in the chair next to Hyde. "About a year ago I started this thing...It's this dating service thing. You take a test and fill out all this stuff and mail it in, and we match you up with your soul mate! It made me rich!" He spread his hands apart.

"Damn, Roy. Good for you." Hyde slapped him on the back. "So have you met your soul mate?"

Roy frowned. "Well, uh, no. I've tried lots of times but my results always come back with no matches. But," He brightened up, "I hired a live in cook, and I pay her extra to pretend she's my girlfriend. Sure, she doesn't speak English and thinks my name is Ricardo...she's actually very confused in the head. But a woman lives with me!"

"Well...at least you seem happy," Hyde offered, "Right?"

"Yeah!" Roy narrowed his eyes. "So what are you guys doing here?"

"Actually, we're on our way back to Point Place."

"No!" Jackie cut in, "No, no, no. We're not."

"Yes," Hyde argued, " We are." He turned to Roy. "Don't you think that she shouldn't be on the road, staying in cheap motels right now?"

"Don't you think that as an adult, I can decide that for myself?" She contorted.

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Well clearly you don't make good decisions. I mean, look at you!"

"Shut up, Steven, You don't even know what you're talking about."

Roy looked back and forth between the two of them, feeling very confused and out of place.

"Guys," He said as they continued to bicker, "Guys. Guys!"

"What?" They said.

"I have a solution that will satisfy you both. It doesn't involve being on the road, and it doesn't involve Point Place. You can come stay with Yolanda and I?"

"Yolanda?"

"My cook and pretend girlfriend."

"As appealing as that sounds, Roy-"

"How rich are you, exactly?" Jackie interrupted.

"Millionaire and counting."

"And...where do you live?"

"A beach side mansion in Florida."

"Yes!" She cried. She stood up and shook her fists in the air. "Yes! Praise the Lord! Praise the heavens! Praise the-"

Hyde yanked her elbow and pulled her down.

"Don't start," He said.

"I'm going to live in a mansion in Florida!"

"Forget it, Jackie. I'm taking you home. To _Wisconsin._"

"For the last time, you're not the boss of me. You don't have to come. You can go back to Point Place and I'll go to Florida with Roy and Lofanda."

"Yolanda," Roy reminded her.

She ignored him and continued talking to Hyde. "It's your choice, Steven. You coming or not?"

An hour later, Jackie and Hyde were headed for the Sunshine State.

**Please review!**


	6. Beau Brandten

**I had no idea what was going to happen in this chapter when I started writing it, and I even surprised myself with how it turned out. Also, I made some minor changes to chapter two that alters the story a tiny bit. Before, Jackie said she stayed with a guy in a trailer in Georgia but I took that out and just had her say "And then I went to Georgia". Anyway, hope you like it!  
**

They were about an hour into the drive when the mood swings started. If Hyde thought Jackie was temperamental before, then he was ill prepared for her pregnant.

"Hand me the map," He said, coming to a stop light.

Jackie, never one to hide her annoyance, practically threw the map at him. "Do I look like your slave?" She asked, agitated.

"What's wrong with you? Are you on your period or something?" He said, cracking himself up.

"You think you're funny," She glared at him. "You want to know what's wrong with me? I've been in this damn car all damn day!"

"Jackie, we left an hour ago..."

"Shut up!" She whirled her body around to face him, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Alarmed, he quickly glanced at her and then back at the road. "Are you okay?" He asked, "Do you want to stop and get some food or something?"

"How fat do you think I am?" She screamed, and then burst into tears.

"I just thought you might want to get out of the car for a little while!" He said in response to the outburst.

"You don't know what I want," she said, looking out the window, "You don't know what I need."

"Okay," He said cautiously, realizing anything could set her off.

"No it's not okay!" She wept.

"Hey," He reached over to pat her shoulder, "Don't be sad."

"Don't tell me what to do!" She snapped, whipping her head around so fast he swerved the car a little.

"I'm sorry," He said hurriedly and a little out of breath, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to get off this goddamn highway and get me some goddamn food! I'm starving!"

"Okay. Okay. I'll take the next exit."

She was silent for a moment, and then said, "You're an asshole."

He gaped at her. "Geez, what did I do?"

"Go to Hell!"

...

"It was nice of you to buy me a Slurpee, Steven" She smiled at him as they walked out of the 7-Eleven.

"Well..." He said, "I know how you love to slurp."

"Isn't this car ride fun?"

He just smiled and nodded. "Uh huh."

"I just love long car rides," She said, sipping the Slurpee.

"Oh, I can tell." He said, terribly confused.

"You know what would make it even more fun?"

He dreaded the answer. "What?"

"If you'd let me drive for a while."

"Um...I don't think that's a good-"

"Let me drive!"

"Okay, okay. Fine. You can drive. Just don't...kill anyone."

She smiled and held out her hands for the keys. Against his better judgment, he gave them to her.

...

"Jackie, you're going to kill someone."

She looked shocked. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know what the speed limit is?"

She shrugged.

"It's 65," He told her.

She just rolled her eyes and kept the needle at 85mph. "Don't be such a baby. Hand me the map."

"If you get pulled over or kill someone, it's on me. And I'm technically still on probation."

"Sounds like a personal problem." She turned up the radio.

He turned it right back down. "Slow down. What are you, the speed demon?"

She smiled maliciously and accelerated up to 90mph.

He closed his eyes.

"What are you doing now?" She asked.

He cracked open one eye. "I'm preparing myself to die."

"Would you stop being so dramatic?" She started messing with the radio dials.

"Eyes on the road!" He yelled, jumping up.

"You know, you are such a hypocrite. I don't think I've ever seen you go the speed limit."

He glanced at her sideways. "I do when I'm with you."

"Oh, please..."

"It's true."

She sighed. "Well...I am getting tired. I think I'll take a little nap."

Before he knew what was happening, she heaved the steering wheel left and slammed on the breaks on the side of the road, almost smashing both of their heads into the dashboard.

She put the car in park and smiled sweetly. "Okay, you can drive now."

...

_She found her at home in her trailer, clutching a beer bottle with five empty ones on the table in front of her. That's how Jackie knew she was going partying. M.K. only drank before and during parties. She'd once said, "I like getting to parties already wasted so I don't have to remember any of it."_

_Jackie sat down across from her. "Hey," She greeted her.  
_

_"Hey honey," M.K. said loudly, practically shouting. "I'm going to a party!"  
_

_"I can see that," Jackie said, and then just spit it out. "I think I'm pregnant."  
_

_M.K stared at her for a moment and then said seriously, "I'm very disappointed in you," And then burst out laughing.  
_

_"Okay, I know you're drunk, but could you just pretend to be sober?"  
_

_She nodded vigorously. "I'm good at that." She reached across the table and took Jackie's hand. "Now...do you know who the father is?"  
_

_"Well if I even am pregnant...it's Beau Brandten."  
_

_The change in M.K.'s demeanor was immediate. She let go of Jackie's hand. "What?" She whispered.  
_

_"It's Beau Brandten," She repeated.  
_

_"You're lying. What...what are you doing?" M.K. stood up and started pacing._

_"I'm not lying!"  
_

_"Beau Brandten...with blond hair and blue eyes, about six feet tall?"  
_

_"Yes. M.K. what's going on? You're scaring me."  
_

_"It can't be the same one..." She muttered to herself, "It's impossible..."  
_

_"Will you tell me what's going on?"  
_

_She looked up at Jackie. "Beau Brandten can't be the father of your child...because he killed himself six years ago."  
_


	7. The Sunshine State

**Sorry this update took so long; I've been writing other parts of the story. After you read, please tell me how much you hate it or how much you love it!**_  
_

_M.K. ended up not going to the party that night, but Jackie did. She wanted to find out as much as she could about Beau Brandten. She had tried to ask about him back at the trailer, but M.K. suddenly grew very_ _tired and went to bed._

_Clutching her purse close to her, Jackie stepped across the threshold of Jimmy Dalelick's front door into a cloud of smoke mingling with the smell of cheap perfume and booze. That whole day, Jackie had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach; the same one she'd gotten right before leaving home. Coming to the party only made it stronger.  
_

_Wanting to accomplish what she came for as fast as possible, she struck up a conversation with Claire, a girl she'd talked to once before. After making pointless small talk for a few minutes, Jackie brought up her real reason for being there.  
_

_"Do you know who Beau Brandten is?"  
_

_Claire thought for a minute. "It kinda rings a bell. But I'm not sure. Why?"_

_"No reason. I have to go to the bathroom. I'll talk to you later."_

_...  
_

_Hands shaking, she locked the door and pulled a pregnancy test out of her purse. It was the fifth one of the day. They had all been positive, but she didn't dare believe she could be pregnant. Until for the fifth time, she looked down at the little plus sign in her hands.  
_

_She stayed in that bathroom for an hour, even when people banged on the door and yelled.  
_

_She did not cry, did not say a word. Sitting against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest, she just closed her eyes and tried to think of better times, tried not to think about how she was in a house full of people who didn't give a damn about her. A whole town full for that matter, minus M.K. There was only a handful of people in the whole world who really cared about her, and she had run away from them.  
_

_She stood up and looked at her reflection, only to see someone she didn't know.  
_

_...  
_

_On her way out of the party, Claire called Jackie over._

_"Hey," She said, "I was talking to some people and now I remember who Beau Brandten is. He was in the newspaper a few years ago for killing himself."_

_"Oh...right. Thanks." Jackie said vaguely, and turned for the door._

_..._

Not wanting to spend another night in a motel room, Jackie and Hyde agreed to finish the drive in one day. Normally, it would take about ten hours, but considering the frequent bathroom and food stops, it was past midnight by the time they pulled into Roy's driveway.

"Damn," Hyde said to himself, gazing up at the three story estate. He couldn't see much in the dark, but he made out the balconies, the huge windows, and above all he saw the Maserati parked in the driveway.

"Jackie, wake up," He shook her arm, "We're here."

Always a light sleeper, she woke immediately, grumbling about bows and newspapers.

"Check out Roy's mansion," Hyde said nodding to the house.

Looking up at it unenthusiastically, she shrugged. "Eh. It'll do."

"It'll do?" He asked.

"Steven, I grew up rich. Excuse me if the sight of a mansion doesn't thrill me!" She unhooked her seat belt and opened the door. Shaking his head, he followed her movements, and they made their way up to the front door.

Roy was outside before they reached the porch with a Hispanic woman beside him. "Guys, meet Yolanda!"

Yolanda smiled tranquilly and said, "Me gusta hacer puré de papas con mis dedos de los pies."

Hyde and Jackie both gave Roy a questioning look and he just shrugged knowingly, leading them all into the house.

Beyond the front door, there was a foyer with a wide staircase leading up to a balcony on the second story.

"The guest rooms are on the third floor. Are you guys hungry? Yolanda made muffins."

"Ugh, no." Jackie said, "Steven made us stop five times to eat."

"That was your idea!" He argued. "It's the reason it took so long to get here."

"Whatever. I'm going to bed."

"Yolanda will show you your room," Roy said, turning to Yolanda. "Show girl her room," He said very slowly, with lost of hand gestures.

After the women went upstairs, Roy and Hyde went in the kitchen for beer.

"So," Roy said, after they sat down, "What's the deal with you and her?"

"I don't even know," Hyde said after a long gulp, "I just ran into her a couple days ago and she was pregnant. She hasn't said anything about it."

"You don't know who the father is?"

"No. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out it's some asshole who ran off on her."

"And you're just taking her under your wing?"

"No...we're just hanging out. I'm not taking her under my _wing_."

"Man," Roy smiled and shook his head, "I'm so jealous of your life."

"Don't be. Dude, you're rich. You can do whatever you want. I mean, sure, a woman will never willingly be with you, but at least you got Lofanda."

"Yolanda," He reminded her.

"Whatever. Look, me and Jackie won't stay long. I'm taking her back to Point Place."

"But you just got here! There's no reason to leave."

"In case you haven't noticed, she's about to burst. She needs to go home."

"Oh come on, she's not that big. My sister had a baby, and she was way fatter than that. Why don't you just stay here for a while and go back in time for her to have the baby in Point Place?"

Hyde sighed heavily. "I hate having responsibility," he mumbled. "Fine. We'll stay here."


End file.
